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A sex toy that links up with a smartphone app may be innovative, but the makers of popular app-enabled vibrator We-Vibe might have just stumbled upon a critical issue: One woman in Chicago is suing We-Vibe’s manufacturer, Standard Innovation, for collecting and transmitting her information, including her email address and the vibration settings she used, without her consent.
The user, who is being identified only as “N.P.”, said that she had no idea Standard Innovation was receiving so much information in return about her use of the company’s We-Vibe vibrator. And while the data is anonymous, it’s hard to imagine anyone would be all that comfortable with this.
It was discovered that Standard Innovation receives information in real-time when the product is in use. The company gets timestamp information, as well as heat-level and of course vibration power. The fact that this is done in real-time is something that will rub many the wrong way – it’s downright creepy.
In a response sent to Gizmodo, Standard Innovation said that it takes user privacy very seriously, and that since this issue came forth, it has made its communication regarding what the We-Vibe does in terms of user information a lot clearer.
It’s understandable to an extent why a company would want this kind of information. If you find out that most of your customers use similar settings, it could help you devise ways to improve the product. But when it comes to something so sensitive, data gathering really needs to be opt-in only. And perhaps not be sent in real-time.
Agencies/Canadajournal
